16 » OpenRoad Driver
WHERE OUR ROAD TAKES YOU
Edge of Glory
ROAD TO HANA
by Rick and Chris Millikan
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Maui ’ s secluded east coast beckons us to the edge of glory . From Kahului Airport , we drive through hip Paia and onto Hana ’ s 84-kilometre heritage highway . The Road to Hana rolls out between sugarcane fields and tangled swaths of uluhe ferns high above the coast . Lavender , orange and red-blossomed trees dot this verdant expanse . Tentacled purple blooms crown lofty octopus trees , known at home as umbrella plants .
After passing through an immense stand of bamboo , the road snakes onward into dense greenery . This rainforest section contains six hundred hairpin curves and fifty-four one-lane bridges , many built in 1910 . Rounding every bend exposes more wondrous vistas . Parking under huge banyans provides a roadside break and the chance to savour pineapple smoothies and fresh-baked banana bread at a food truck .
At the halfway point of our drive , Keanae Arboretum allows a closer examination of Hawaiian trees and plants . From a huge monkey-pod tree , a walkway leads us past vibrant gingers , flamboyant heliconia and assorted palms . The rainbow eucalyptus